Claudia Daré

Partner Director
LATAM Intersect PR

Sao Paulo, Brazil

“Innovation is not always related to new ideas, but it is certainly related to having the creativity to use them."

With the creation of corporate and consumer shop LaAm Intersect PR in 2019, trilingual media and comms veteran Claudia Dare was able to put into practice everything she believes in – proactive narrative-driven PR campaigns cross-border connections with LatAm professionals and journalists, encouraging other female professionals, championing causes like public health, and working to bring the rest of the world closer to Latin America. She also singles out the creation of the agency as one of her most innovative moments.

She’s been described as the best in the business in Latin America, and her caring, thoughtful and considerate approach to her clients has been singled out as a particular strength alongside her determination and willingness to help others learn.

A former journalist and foreign correspondent for the newspaper Valor Economico and Epoca magazine, Dare has more than 30 years experience across journalism, PR and comms and has held senior positions at Zeno Group in Brazil and Sherlock Communications, where she was head of LatAm and developed the Latin American network of the agency.

How do you define innovation?
Innovation is a tool and principle to generate new results and transformation. Innovation is not always related to new ideas, but it is certainly related to the creativity to use them.

What is the most innovative PR or marketing initiative you've seen over the past 12 months?
It is certainly the adhesion to web 3 and the metaverse, with the launch of campaigns and products in this new universe, with the use of crypto assets to generate engagement and utility for tokens in the form of NFT or other wearables. Here at the agency we also adhere to this form of reorganization and as we are in more than 10 countries in Latin America and still have an arm in Europe, we have developed our office in the metaverse for meetings and other activities.

In your opinion, which brands and/or agencies are most innovative in their approach to PR and marketing?
I believe in campaigns and ideas that work well. One of the most recent was for Chile Beans - a sunglasses company, which created a chapel in Rock in Rio to marry people. Total success. Or even inclusive campaigns to give voice to minorities, such as Natura (cosmetics / Brazil) with its campaign to alert the violence against women. But there is no doubt that Coca Cola and Itaú Bank for instance are always innovative on their campaigns.

Describe a moment in your career that you would consider to be innovative.
I consider that I had many innovative moments, and that makes me very happy, but a great moment, definitely, was when I decided to put all my knowledge, experience and networking to create Latam Intersect PR with my partner, Roger Darashah, with whom I already had developed many innovative works in the past.

Who do you admire for his/her approach to innovation?
Beatriz Bevilacqua - A former PR and Brazilian journalist who specialized in the startup universe and today has become a reference in this field. And Beia Carvalho - speaker on innovation, future and new generations.

How do you get out of a creativity rut?
Keeping "the mind still, the spine straight and the heart quiet" - Walter Franco - poet and composer

What advice would you give to the PR industry around embracing innovation?
Listen, read, be aware of trends, don't be afraid to dare and get ahead of others. Always try.

What would you be doing if you weren't doing your current job?
Maybe starting an old project of writing a book, or at least writing stories. The journalist I used to be never left me!

Which book/movie/TV show/podcast/playlist/other cultural source has provided inspiration over the past year?
Fernanda Montenegro biography (an awarded Brazilian actress) and 'The woman from the abandoned house' - a podcast reportage that simply transformed the podcast audience in Brazil by uniting journalism, counter-rule effects, and a storytelling focused on suspense, to tell the story of a Brazilian who fled the FBI and lived in a mansion abandoned in the most upscale neighborhood of São Paulo. A revolution in the art of storytelling through podcasts.

How would you like to see work culture, and the role of the office, evolve?
I believe in people and in trusting relationships. The work culture, now hybrid for most of us, can only be sustained on this foundation. It is on this basis that we build our relationships at the agency. With confidence and creativity there are no barriers to the growth of professionals in any work environment.

How can the PR and communications industry harness innovation to make more progress on diversity, equity and inclusion?
Discourse needs to be part of practice. This is the beginning of everything. We have created a DEI & Environment department at Latam Intersect to provide customers with support to put what they say into their daily practices, in a real way, generating credibility. That's what I believe. Nothing that is not truly experienced holds up.